Reality Check: Am I Worth Multiplying?

The first word that came to mind after reading today’s assignment: Ouch.

This was painful for me today, to be honest. As much as I long to be like Jesus, I fail miserably EVERY DAY. The stress that comes with misbehaving children and being hated by people in my life that I just cannot avoid really gets to me sometimes. Oh, who am I kidding? It gets to me MOST days, despite my daily prayers that I walk in the Spirit and not the flesh; ask the Lord to help me be meek, mild, loving, compassionate; full of joy, grace, and mercy every day so that it oozes and radiates from me to everyone with whom I come in contact.

Today’s assignment included reading Matthew Ch. 5-7 (The Beatitudes) and writing down four verses that spoke to me. They all hit home, but these four are the areas that God and I were dealing with today:

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 NKJV

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7 NKJV

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44 NKJV

“For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collector do the same?” Matthew 5:46 NKJV

Today’s assignment also included a self-examination quiz by John Wesley. Even though this reality check was painful, it pointed to areas I already knew were struggles in my life, and today I cried out to the Lord in anguish over these heart matters. This led to anointing the entryways of our home and the bedrooms with oil, kicking the enemy out, and loosing Jesus’ love in our home and in our family members. Something changed in our home by the evening. Our home was full of love and laughter as it never has since we became a “blended” family! We had a pastor friend over for dinner, and he said he could feel Jesus as he walked in the door! HALLELUJAH!!!

While our friend was visiting, we were able to discuss this calling we have on our lives and started making plans to move forward. THANK YOU, JESUS!!!

Lord, please keep molding me and making me into Your likeness, a disciple worth multiplying. I’m Yours, and I want to be used by You and for You. Trusting You every step of the way!

Our daughter being silly, attempting to give one of our sons a “swirly.”

Author Joni Zabel

I'm a wife, mother, step-mother, but most of all, I'm a friend of Jesus Christ. He's recently called me to leave my full-time job to be His disciple and be available for whatever it is He has for me to do. I've stepped out of the boat in faith. My husband and I, as well as several of our friends, know that there is so much MORE the Lord wants from us than to be confined to ministering in a church building, and I'm very excited to see what He has in store for the future!